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Antiwork 2: No One Is Getting A Pay Raise

Wes Cecil is a wonderful lecturer on humanist themes. I have never seen him do something so politically adjacent. Excellent work and something every young worker should watch and bear in mind.

tldr:

1. Capitalism strip mines culture just like any other scarce resource.
2. Culture includes personal values like hard work, group effort, and not whining.
3. As capitalism exploits those values to get maximal value from its workers, those values erode and the workers are exhausted.
4. Then capitalism moves on, leaving the wreckage, paying no externality fee.
5. And, needless to say, capitalism is not itself bound by such values, because it is understood that the iron laws of the market are all that operate for it.

The analogy for capitalism I would use is a strong acid. Strong acids have their place -- they are not by definition good or bad, they merely have uses and dangers based on context. So we control them and are very careful about not getting any on us.
 
So I applied to a job, not because I want it, but because I don't want the other internal candidate to be the only viable option. Also, after reading the job description I believed myself to be more than qualified for it, and other co-workers encouraged me stating they'd rather I get it than the other guy. Well, I didn't even get an interview and the guy I don't respect got the job, and now I'm expected to report to a person that I think is an idiot. *sigh* This is going to be challenging
 
Ugh. Sorry to hear that wT.



I have my own conundrum. These last few years, I've been slowly adding to my resume with my team of co-workers and have gone from a construction inspector, to materials training, unofficial assistant resident engineer, senior inspector, and recently materials coordinator. All working my way towards being a resident engineer (while kicking and screaming and without a PE).

Then, this spring, our team changed. Two people quit, including the RE for our first big win with the company we joined in 2022. My company scrambled and pulled a former teammate from design back into the field to help, but had to use our subconsultant as the RE for the project (the agency we're working for understood the crunch, but said since we're the prime, we need to be the RE).

Now that we're in the fall slowdown, the agency has asked if my company has someone they want ro hire. Which we do, but the agency, two separate engineers, have requested that I take over as the RE. Both have expressed they feel I am ready for the jump and they wouldn't let me fail. They have seen what I've done on the project so far and feel comfortable to tell the agency and my company they request me as the RE. The subconsultant RE has also said he feels I'm ready and would always answer my phone calls if I ran into a jam.

They're not the first as there have been a half dozen to a dozen well respected engineers and clients I've worked with for the last six years that have expressed that I would be a great RE, but the imposter syndrome is very strong.

I'm not getting younger, and if I don't take the plunge, my career sort of hits a stopping point very quickly as I'll be priced out. I think I need to face my fears and take this next step.
 
aparch said:
Ugh. Sorry to hear that wT.



I have my own conundrum. These last few years, I've been slowly adding to my resume with my team of co-workers and have gone from a construction inspector, to materials training, unofficial assistant resident engineer, senior inspector, and recently materials coordinator. All working my way towards being a resident engineer (while kicking and screaming and without a PE).

Then, this spring, our team changed. Two people quit, including the RE for our first big win with the company we joined in 2022. My company scrambled and pulled a former teammate from design back into the field to help, but had to use our subconsultant as the RE for the project (the agency we're working for understood the crunch, but said since we're the prime, we need to be the RE).

Now that we're in the fall slowdown, the agency has asked if my company has someone they want ro hire. Which we do, but the agency, two separate engineers, have requested that I take over as the RE. Both have expressed they feel I am ready for the jump and they wouldn't let me fail. They have seen what I've done on the project so far and feel comfortable to tell the agency and my company they request me as the RE. The subconsultant RE has also said he feels I'm ready and would always answer my phone calls if I ran into a jam.

They're not the first as there have been a half dozen to a dozen well respected engineers and clients I've worked with for the last six years that have expressed that I would be a great RE, but the imposter syndrome is very strong.

I'm not getting younger, and if I don't take the plunge, my career sort of hits a stopping point very quickly as I'll be priced out. I think I need to face my fears and take this next step.
Click to expand...
When others are saying you're fit, you're fit.

Take the plunge. Butterflies are good. They keep you honest.
 
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